Richard Percy Jones (February 25, 1927 – July 7, 2014), known as Dick Jones or Dickie Jones, was an American actor and singer who achieved success as a child performer and as a young adult, especially in

B-Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

. In 1938, he played Artimer "Artie" Peters, nephew of Buck Peters, in the Hopalong Cassidy film ''The Frontiersman''. He may be best known as the voice of

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

's film of the same name.

Early life

Jones was born on February 25, 1927, in Snyder, some ninety miles south of

Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

, Texas. The son of a newspaper editor, Jones was a prodigious horseman from infancy, having been billed at the age of four as the "World's Youngest Trick Rider and Trick Roper". At the age of six, he was hired to perform riding and

lariat A lasso ( or ), also called lariat, riata, or reata (all from Castilian, la reata 're-tied rope'), is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the Spanish an ...

tricks in the rodeo owned by

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

star Hoot Gibson, who convinced young Jones and his parents that he should come to Hollywood. Jones and his mother moved there, and Gibson arranged for some small parts for the boy, whose good looks, energy, and pleasant voice quickly landed him more and bigger parts, both in low-budget westerns as well as in more substantial productions.

Career

Among his early films are '' Little Men'' (1934) and '' A Man to Remember'' (1938). Jones appeared as a bit player in several of Hal Roach's '' Our Gang'' (''The Little Rascals'') shorts, including '' The Pigskin Palooka'' and ''

Our Gang Follies of 1938 ''Our Gang Follies of 1938'' (later reissued as simply ''Follies of 1938'') is a 1937 American musical short subject, the 161st short subject entry in Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') series. Directed by Gordon Douglas as a sequel to ...

'' (both from 1937). In 1939, Jones appeared as a troublesome kid, Killer Parkins, in the film '' Nancy Drew... Reporter''. The same year he appeared with

Jimmy Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

in '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' as Senate page Richard (Dick) Jones. In 1940, he had one of his most prominent (though invisible) roles, as the voice of Pinocchio in Disney's animated film of the same name. Jones attended Hollywood High School and at fifteen took over the role of

Henry Aldrich Henry Aldrich (15 January 1648 – 14 December 1710) was an English theologian, philosopher, and composer. Life Aldrich was educated at Westminster School under Dr Richard Busby. In 1662, he entered Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1689 was ma ...

on the hit radio show ''

The Aldrich Family ''The Aldrich Family'', a popular radio teenage situation comedy (July 2, 1939 – April 19, 1953), was also presented in films, television and comic books. In the radio series' opening exchange, awkward teen Henry's mother called, "Hen-''reeeee ...

''. He learned carpentry and augmented his income with jobs in that field. He served in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

in the Alaska Territory during the final months of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Gene Autry, who before the war had cast Jones in several westerns, put him back to work through Autry's Flying A Pictures and, for television, his Flying A Productions. Jones guest-starred regularly on ''

The Gene Autry Show ''The Gene Autry Show'' is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum. Overview Series star Gene Autry had a ...

'' in the early 1950s. He appeared in a 1950 episode of the TV series ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' titled "Man Without a Gun". In 1950, at the age of twenty-three, he played the 16-year-old cook for a small Confederate Army unit in the film ''

Rocky Mountain The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

''. By 1951, he was billed as Dick Jones, and starred as Dick West, sidekick to the Western hero known as ''

The Range Rider ''The Range Rider'' is an American Western television series that was first broadcast in syndication from 1951 to 1953. A single lost episode surfaced and was broadcast in 1959. ''The Range Rider'' was also broadcast on British television durin ...

'', played by

Jock Mahoney Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, ''The Range Rider'' and ''Yancy Derringer''. He ...

, in a Gene Autry television series that ran for seventy-six episodes in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

, beginning in 1951.Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", '' West Texas Historical Review'', Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 113–115 Jones was cast thereafter in 1954 and 1955 in four episodes of ''

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western ...

'', another Flying A Production. Autry gave Jones his own series, '' Buffalo Bill, Jr.'' (1955), which ran for forty-two episodes in syndication. Through his work in Western films and television series from the 1930s through the 1950s, Jones became a fixture at the former

Iverson Movie Ranch Iverson may refer to: Computing * Iverson Award, an ACM honour for APL contributions * Iverson bracket, a mathematical notation * Iverson Notation, the syntactic basis of APL (programming language) Other uses * Iverson Movie Ranch, Chatsworth, Ca ...

, considered the most heavily filmed outdoor shooting location in Hollywood history. In 1957, Jones appeared twice as Ned in the episodes "The Brothers" and "Renegade Rangers" of the syndicated

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

series '' Gray Ghost''. In 1960, Jones guest-starred as Bliss in the episode "Fire Flight" of another syndicated series, ''The Blue Angels'', about the elite air-show squadron of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. He also appeared in the syndicated western series, ''

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pi ...

''. In 1962, Jones portrayed John Hunter in the episode "The Wagon Train Mutiny" of NBC's Western series ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

''. That same year, he appeared in the television short ''The Night Rider''. Jones's last acting role was as Cliff Fletcher in the 1965 film ''

Requiem for a Gunfighter ''Requiem for a Gunfighter'' is a 1965 American Western film, the last film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, produced by Alex Gordon, and starring Rod Cameron, Stephen McNally, Mike Mazurki, Dick Jones, and Olive Sturgess. Cast * Rod Cam ...

''.

Honors

In 2000, Dick Jones was named one of the Disney Legends. In early 2009, Jones performed promotional events for the Platinum Edition DVD and Blu-ray release of ''Pinocchio''. In March 2009, he was a guest star at the Williamsburg Film Festival.

Personal life

Jones married his wife Betty in 1948, together they had four children; Rick, Jeffrey, Jennifer and Melody. They remained married until Jones' death in 2014.

Death

Jones died after a fall at his home on the evening of July 7, 2014, at the age of 87.

Filmography

* '' Wonder Bar'' (1934) as Boy (uncredited) * ''

Burn 'Em Up Barnes ''Burn 'Em Up Barnes'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code movie serial produced and distributed by Mascot Pictures, along with a feature version of the serial bearing the same title. It was a loose remake of the 1921 silent film of the same name. Cas ...

'' (1934) as Schoolboy hs. 1, 7(uncredited) * '' Babes in Toyland'' (1934) as Schoolboy (uncredited) * '' Kid Millions'' (1934) as Little Boy in Ice Cream Number (uncredited) * '' Strange Wives'' (1934) as Twin * '' Little Men'' (1934) as Dolly * ''

Life Returns ''Life Returns'' is an American film directed by Eugene Frenke. The film stars Onslow Stevens, George P. Breakston and Lois Wilson with a plot that involves a doctor who is convinced that the dead can be brought back to life gets the chance to p ...

'' (1935) as Newsboy (uncredited) * '' The Pecos Kid'' (1935) as Donald Pecos – as a Boy (uncredited) * '' The Call of the Savage'' (1935, Serial) as Jan Trevor as a Boy h. 1* '' The Hawk'' (1935) as Dickie Thomas * ''

Queen of the Jungle ''Queen of the Jungle'' is a 1935 independent film serial produced by Herman Wohl and released theatrically by Screen Attractions. Plot David Worth travels into Africa to find his old friend Joan Lawrence, who disappeared in a hot air balloon a ...

'' (1935) as David Worth Jr. as a child * '' Silk Hat Kid'' (1935) as Jimmy (uncredited) * '' Westward Ho'' (1935) as Jim Wyatt – as a Child * '' O'Shaughnessy's Boy'' (1935) as Boy with Sling Shot at Parade (uncredited) * ''

Moonlight on the Prairie ''Moonlight on the Prairie'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by D. Ross Lederman. It was the first of a Warner Bros. singing cowboy film series with Dick Foran and his Palomino Smoke. A print is preserved in the Library of Congress ...

'' (1935) as Dickie Roberts * ''

'' (1935) as David Worth as a child * '' The Adventures of Frank Merriwell'' (1936) as Jimmy McLaw (uncredited) * ''

Exclusive Story ''Exclusive Story'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by George B. Seitz and written by Michael Fessier. The film stars Franchot Tone, Madge Evans, Stuart Erwin, Joseph Calleia, Robert Barrat and J. Farrell MacDonald. The film was released ...

'' (1936) as Higgins' Son (uncredited) * ''

Sutter's Gold ''Sutter's Gold'' is a 1936 American Western film. It is a fictionalized version of the aftermath of the discovery of gold on Sutter's property, spurring the California Gold Rush of 1849. Edward Arnold plays John Sutter. The supporting cast i ...

'' (1936) as 2nd Newsboy (uncredited) * ''

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in ''St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of ''St. Nicholas'') in 1886. The ill ...

'' (1936) as Ceddie at Age 7 (uncredited) * ''

The First Baby ''The First Baby'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Lewis Seiler and written by Lamar Trotti. The film stars Johnny Downs, Shirley Deane, Jane Darwell, Dixie Dunbar, Marjorie Gateson and Gene Lockhart. The film was released on April 2, ...

'' (1936) as Ellis Child (uncredited) * '' 36 Hours to Kill'' (1936) as Little Boy Selling The Garden Beautiful (uncredited) * ''

Pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

'' (1936) as Member of Pepper's Gang (uncredited) * '' Love Begins at 20'' (1936) as Boy on Streetcar (uncredited) * ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' (1936) as Master Jerry Randolph * '' The Man I Marry'' (1936) as Little Boy (uncredited) * ''

Wild Horse Round-Up ''Wild Horse Round-Up'' is a 1936 American western film directed by Alan James from a screenplay by Joseph O'Donnell, based on a short story by James Oliver Curwood. The film stars Kermit Maynard, Betty Lloyd, and Dickie Jones. Cast *Kermit M ...

'' (1936) as Dickie Williams * '' Black Legion'' (1937) as Buddy Taylor * '' Blake of Scotland Yard'' (1937) as Bobby Mason * '' Ready, Willing, and Able'' (1937) as Junior (uncredited) * '' Land Beyond the Law'' (1937) as Bobby Skinner (uncredited) * '' Smoke Tree Range'' (1937) as Teddy Page * '' Flying Fists'' (1937) as Dickie Martin * '' Stella Dallas'' (1937) as Lee Morrison * ''

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted ''Renfrew of the Royal Mounted'' was a popular series of boy's adventure books written by Laurie York Erskine that were later filmed and became a series on both radio and television. Canon 'Inspector Douglas Renfrew' was a former Royal Flying Cor ...

'' (1937) as Tommy MacDonald * '' Love Is on the Air'' (1937) as Bill – Mouse's Friend * ''Hollywood Round-Up'' (1937) as Dickie Stevens * '' The Kid Comes Back'' (1938) as Bobby Doyle * ''

Border Wolves ''Border Wolves'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and written by Norton S. Parker. The film stars Bob Baker, Constance Moore, Fuzzy Knight, Dick Jones, Willie Fung, Oscar O'Shea and Frank Campeau. The film was rel ...

'' (1938) as Jimmie Benton * ''

Land of Fighting Men ''Land of Fighting Men'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Alan James and written by Joseph O'Donnell. The film stars Jack Randall, Bruce Bennett, Louise Stanley, Dick Jones, Walt Shrum and Bob Burns. The film was released on March ...

'' (1938) as Jimmy Mitchell * ''

Love, Honor and Behave ''Love, Honor and Behave'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Stanley Logan and starring Wayne Morris and Priscilla Lane. The supporting cast includes John Litel, Thomas Mitchell, Dick Foran and Dickie Moore. " Bei Mir Bist Du Sc ...

'' (1938) as Boy Playing with Young Ted (uncredited) * '' The Devil's Party'' (1938) as Joe O'Mara as a Child (uncredited) * ''

The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok ''The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'' (1938) is a Columbia Pictures movie serial. It was the fourth of the 57 serials released by Columbia and the studio's first Western serial. The serial was the first to be produced by Columbia personn ...

'' (1938) as Buddy * '' A Man to Remember'' (1938) as Dick Abbott – Age 8–12 * '' Girls on Probation'' (1938) as Magazine Newsboy – Witness (uncredited) * '' The Frontiersmen'' (1938) as Artie Peters * '' Woman Doctor'' (1939) as Johnny * '' Nancy Drew... Reporter'' (1939) as Killer Parkins * '' Sergeant Madden'' (1939) as Dennis Madden, as a boy * '' The Man Who Dared'' (1939) as Bill Carter * ''

Young Mr. Lincoln ''Young Mr. Lincoln'' is a 1939 American biographical drama western film about the early life of President Abraham Lincoln, directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda. Ford and producer Darryl F. Zanuck fought for control of the film, to ...

'' (1939) as Adam Clay as a Boy (uncredited) * '' On Borrowed Time'' (1939) as Boy in Tree (uncredited) * '' Sky Patrol'' (1939) as Bobby Landis * '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939) as Richard "Dickie" Jones, Senate Page Boy (uncredited) * ''Beware Spooks!'' (1939) as First Boy (uncredited) * ''

Destry Rides Again ''Destry Rides Again'' is a 1939 American Western comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Allen Jenkins, Irene Hervey ...

'' (1939) as Claggett Boy * ''

'' (1940) as

/ Alexander (voice, uncredited) * ''

Virginia City Virginia City is a census-designated place (CDP) that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada, and the largest community in the county. The city is a part of the Reno– Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. Virginia City developed as a boom ...

'' (1940) as Cobby Gill * ''

Hi-Yo Silver ''Hi-Yo Silver'' is a 1940 American Western film, directed by William Witney and John English. It stars Lee Powell, Hi-Yo Silver, and Chief Thundercloud and was released on April 10, 1940. The film was created by condensing the fifteen chapt ...

'' (1940) as The Boy (uncredited) * ''

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

'' (1940) as Lee Danfield – Age 12 (uncredited) * ''

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...

'' (1940) as Henry Kent * ''

The Howards of Virginia ''The Howards of Virginia'' is a 1940 American drama war film directed by Frank Lloyd, released by Columbia Pictures, and based on the book ''The Tree of Liberty'' written by Elizabeth Page. The Howards of Virginia live through the American Revo ...

'' (1940) as Matt Howard at 12 * ''

Knute Rockne All American ''Knute Rockne, All American'' is a 1940 American biographical film that tells the story of Knute Rockne, Notre Dame's legendary football coach. It stars Pat O'Brien as Rockne and Ronald Reagan as player George Gipp, as well as Gale Page, Donal ...

'' (1940) as Boy Captain (uncredited) * ''

Adventure in Washington ''Adventure in Washington'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Herbert Marshall, Virginia Bruce and Gene Reynolds. The plot is about an unlikely Page of the United States Senate, U.S. Senate page boy whose mis ...

'' (1941) as Abbott * '' The Vanishing Virginian'' (1942) as Robert Yancey Jr. * '' Mountain Rhythm'' (1943) as Darwood Gates Alton * ''

The Outlaw ''The Outlaw'' is a 1943 American Western film, directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jack Buetel, Jane Russell, Thomas Mitchell, and Walter Huston. Hughes also produced the film, while Howard Hawks served as an uncredited co-director. Th ...

'' (1943) as Boy (uncredited) * '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) as Samuel Clemens – age 15 (uncredited) * '' The Strawberry Roan'' (1948) as Joe Bailey * '' Angel on the Amazon'' (1948) as George (uncredited) * '' Battleground'' (1949) as Tanker (uncredited) * '' Sands of Iwo Jima'' (1949) as Scared Marine (uncredited) * '' Sons of New Mexico'' (1949) as Randy Pryor * ''

Military Academy with That Tenth Avenue Gang ''Military Academy with That Tenth Avenue Gang'' is a 1950 American comedy drama film directed by D. Ross Lederman, and starring Stanley Clements, Danny Welton, and Gene Collins. Plot Cast *Stanley Clements as Stash *Danny Welton as Danny *Ge ...

'' (1950) as Richard Reilly (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949–1950, TV Series) as Jim Douglas / Jim * '' Redwood Forest Trail'' (1950) as Mighty Mite * ''

'' (1950) as Jim (Buck) Wheat (CSA) * '' Fort Worth'' (1951) as Luther Wicks * ''

'' (1951–1953) as Dick West * '' The Old West'' (1952) as Pinto * ''

Wagon Team ''Wagon Team'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Gerald Geraghty. The film stars Gene Autry, Gail Davis, Dick Jones, Gordon Jones, Harry Harvey Sr. and Henry Rowland. The film was released on Se ...

'' (1952) as Dave Weldon, aka The Apache Kid * '' Last of the Pony Riders'' (1953) as Johnny Blair * '' Attila'' (1954) * ''

The Bamboo Prison ''The Bamboo Prison'' is a 1954 American Korean War film–drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Robert Francis, Brian Keith, Dianne Foster, and Jerome Courtland. The working title was ''I Was a Prisoner in Korea''. The US Army denied ...

'' (1954) as P.O.W. Jackie * '' The Bridges at Toko-Ri'' (1954) as Pilot (uncredited) * ''

The Wild Dakotas ''The Wild Dakotas'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Tom W. Blackburn. The film stars Bill Williams, Coleen Gray, Jim Davis, John Litel, Dick Jones, John Miljan and Lisa Montell. The film was released ...

'' (1956) as Mike McGeehee * '' The Cool and the Crazy'' (1958) as Stu Summerville * '' Shadow of the Boomerang'' (1960) as Bob Prince * ''The Devil's Bedroom'' (1964) as Norm * ''

'' (1965) as Cliff Fletcher (final film role)

References

External links

*
Dick Jones at the Disney Legends Website

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Dickie 1927 births 2014 deaths People from Snyder, Texas Male actors from Los Angeles American male film actors American male child actors American male radio actors American male voice actors American male television actors Male actors from Texas 20th-century American male actors United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army personnel of the Korean War Accidental deaths from falls